With only four games remaining in the women's basketball team's regular season schedule, the Pirates remain winless in conference play and are in the midst of a 14-game losing streak.
After losing to No. 14 Georgetown in the final minutes of the game, the Pirates failed to come within 10 points in the second half of a road contest with the Providence Friars on Saturday.
"I'm very frustrated that we didn't compete harder than that," head coach Anne Donovan said. "Jasmine Crew, we've said it all year, she needs help. She can't do it herself. She can't score all the points. She can't defend in the post. It's very disappointing that our starters didn't step up."
Crew has been the lone bright spot in a season where not many good things have happened for the Pirates.
She is averaging 18.4 points and 3.4 assists per game, while playing in 37 minutes per game.
Until getting injured in the second half of the Providence game, Crew played every minute for three and a half straight games.
Despite the winless conference record, the Pirates have had a lead or have been within striking distance for several games this season, including contests against Syracuse, University of South Florida, and most recently Georgetown.
The problem is, the Pirates have had no consistency behind Crew.
"We played focused (against Georgetown), we played determined," Donovan said. "Brittany Morris was more determined in that game than she showed tonight, same thing with our post. We just didn't have the same mindset, and I don't know why."
Morris is averaging 11.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. However, she has scored just 33 points in the last five games.
The Pirates will face the University of Cincinnati on Saturday.
The Bearcats come into the game with a 13-12 record, 4-8 in season.
UC is coming off a 62-57 win over Pittsburgh on Saturday.
The Bearcats started the season 7-0, but have since been a streaky team, having twice lost six games in a row.
Cincinnati has two players averaging double figures in points.
Dayeesha Hollins scores 14.6 points per game, while Bjonee Reaves scores 13.2 points per game.
"(Cincinnati) have some big wins in the Big East," Donovan said. "We will do like we always will. We will take a couple of days off, let them get their legs back, then come back and prepare for Cincinnati."
Tim LeCras can be reached at timothy.lecras@gmail.com.
